


The Flower Shop | Spencer Reid

by WillowRose99



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Flower Language, Gen, Love, M/M, Spencer Reid Fluff, Spencer Reid likes flowers, Spencer falls in love, flower shop au, jj just had Henry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 10:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30138102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillowRose99/pseuds/WillowRose99
Summary: Spencer wants to buy some flowers for JJ and her new son Henry, but he needs some help from the florist. A first meeting fic, with a dash of mutual pining!
Relationships: Spencer Reid & Reader, Spencer Reid & You, Spencer Reid/Reader, Spencer Reid/You
Kudos: 19





	The Flower Shop | Spencer Reid

On the eve of JJ giving birth to Henry, Spencer decided to get her a gift to celebrate his godson’s arrival. He wanted something sweet, something that was pretty and pure, and something that would make JJ smile after enduring the exhaustion of labour. So, when he stepped into the flower shop near dusk, he already had an idea of what he wanted. He just didn’t think he would find something else that would take his heart’s fancy. 

“Hiya, how can I help you this evening?” It was like a train had hit him when you walked out from behind the counter, the air sucked out of his lungs and his eyes going wide, mind racing at 100 miles per hour. He didn’t speak for a moment, still staring at you like he was frozen, but you just let out this stunning smile and suddenly he was right at peace. 

“I um-my friend has just given birth to a baby boy. I want to get her some flowers.” He tries not to let his voice waver, trying not to think about how he’s talking to a pretty person and he doesn’t want to make a fool of himself. You nod, listening to him intently as you move around the shop, Spencer’s eyes not leaving your face.

“Well, we do have some options. You can go traditional, some nice flowers that symbolise the month the baby was born in perhaps? Or you can go more classic? Maybe some tulips, or white roses? Roses are a popular choice.” Spencer had finally clicked back into the conversation then, and shook his head firmly, curls moving in the light of the dimming sun.

“Definitely not white roses, they represent purity, innocence and in some cases, chastity. And well, it’s kind of hard to give someone flowers that represent chastity when they’ve just had a child. Also, they’re used more for ceremonial things, aren’t they?” The corner of your lips perked up at his statement, impressed by his knowledge and watching in the way that his tongue peeked out to wet his lips, eyes catching the last of the sun and his gaze constantly on you.

“You’re right. Hm, let me think for a moment.” You wandered over to a display by the window, with various bouquets sitting on a small table that was adorned with a pretty blue tablecloth. Spencer watched you, watched the way in which your fingers danced over the flower petals, thumbed the leaves, and gently touched the stems as you fiddled with the plants. “Okay I have some ideas that might take your fancy. Now, these are more stock-of-the-mill ideas, and something that many people love, so if none of those appeal to you, I could always think of something else.” Spencer nodded his head, and when you sent him a bright smile, he couldn’t help but smile back. 

“First on the list of are tulips.” 

“They symbolise perfect and unconditional love.” Spencer couldn’t help himself, voice too eager to leap out and fill the store with information, something he thought would surely embarrass him. Yet you just nodded, grinned, and moved closer to him. 

“That’s right. They’re good for a lot of different things, from romantic love, platonic, family, and other types of love. But they are quite…” You couldn’t put your finger on the word as you looked at him.

“Simple, standard?” Spencer finished off your sentence for you as you nodded along, and he stuck his hands in his pockets after speaking, eyes glued to you as you started to speak. 

“Exactly. They’re something I might give to my mum to say, ‘I love you’ but they’re not something I would give to someone who’s just made a tiny human.” Spencer nods in agreement, realising that he definitely does not want to give JJ tulips. And that’s when Spencer decided to take a leap of faith and trust his gut, something he didn’t often rely on in his personal life. 

“Uh, what about if I gave her a bouquet? An arrangement of flowers that mean a multitude of things?” He asked the question uncertainly like you would laugh or dismiss it as a bad idea. But soon you were rushing back behind the counter and pulling out some crepe paper and a piece of worn string. 

“You know what? From the little I know about your friend, mister, I think she would like that.” You collected some garden knives from the shelf and pulled on a long pair of gloves. “Do you have any idea what you want to put in the bunch? Remember, it doesn’t always have to mean something, it can just look pretty too!”

“I want you to choose.” This caught you by surprise, and from the look on Spencer’s face, he didn’t plan on saying it either. It somehow just rolled out of his mouth in a jumble of words and ended up in the open air. His eyes widened as you stood there, not knowing what to do. It wasn’t like it was odd for a customer to ask you to make a personalised bouquet for them. Except this was a handsome man who’d just walked into your store and with his funny little mannerisms, a bright smile, and a breadth of knowledge about the various flowers you work with, your heart was taken by him in a matter of minutes. And you did not want to pick something he didn’t like; you didn’t want to embarrass yourself. But, in the wise words of your boss, keeping the customer happy and conforming to their needs was the best thing you could do. So, you smiled a shaky smile, looked him right in the eye and said “of course, but you’ve gotta help me.”

And he did. The two of you started wandering the rows and rows of flowers, slowly picking out some flowers that you liked, gaze glancing over to one another when you each thought the other wasn’t looking. It was like a little dance was being shared between the two of you, soft stares shared, and small smiles exchanged, and when the both of you unknowingly went to reach for a bunch of sunflowers, his hand fell on yours. Neither of you jerked away, nor did you react with horror or disgust like Spencer thought you would, but instead you just let out a shaky breath. 

“You know, sun flowers are one of the most adored flowers in the world. People believe they represent good luck, positivity, happiness, strength, and admiration. And…some even believe it’s the perfect flower for a person’s first love.” You rambled on while Spencer watched you, in total awe of your beauty and relishing in the way your skin felt against the palm of his hand, soft and warm. 

“It’s also the national flower of Russia and Ukraine.” Spencer felt himself turn white, cursing himself for saying something so stupid. But you just smiled once again, and with your other hand still under his, took the bunch of sunflowers and placed them in the pile Spencer cradled in his arms. 

“They’re also my favourite flower…and the one I often like getting on a first date.” You were gone then, the flowers in your arms instead of his and you busied yourself with wrapping the tall flowers in the crepe paper, taking care to not break their stems or crush their petals. Spencer stood there, hand still warm from where you touched it, and a sweet scent lingering in his nostrils, something that reminded him of old books, hot chocolate, and fresh popcorn. 

Neither of you spoke as you wrapped up his flowers, taking plenty of care and wrapping a nice light-yellow bow around them. Spencer tried not to act like he was watching your every move, but you could tell from the rising heat on your cheeks that he was. And when he walked up to the counter to pay, he couldn’t stop wetting his lips, a nervous habit when he was trying to pluck up the courage to ask you something. 

“If-if I was taking out someone who liked sunflowers, maybe this Saturday, where would I take them and what would I plan as an activity?” He didn’t look at you as he spoke, just handed over a wad of cash and took the flowers gently in his hand. But you were giddy inside, butterflies erupting in your stomach and a smile spreading on your face that Spencer thought was so beautiful. 

“Take them to the park, on a picnic with pastries and hot chocolate and one of those picnic rugs they use in the movies.” Spencer smiled at the thought, and then he was asking you something you never thought he would. 

“Well okay, pretty florist. Would you like to go on a date with me, this Saturday, on a picnic with all the sweet food and drink you could have?” He was shy about it, emotions concealed for the moment and inside praying, hoping that you would say yes.

“I’d thought you’d never ask…I just realised I don’t actually know your name, and you don’t know mine.” Spencer chuckled, slightly embarrassed and wishing he had got the basics down before he asked you on a date. But nevertheless, he fished out a business card from his coat pocket and handed it to you, the card typed with the words ‘Dr Spencer Reid, Behavioural Analysist Unit, FBI’. You took that information in, and pocketed the card, making sure to remember to put his number in your phone. “Well then, Spencer Reid, I will go on that date with you.”

He left the flower shop with a smile on his face, flowers clutched in one hand and your name and number in another, and before either of you knew it, he was picking you up on Saturday, sunflowers in hand. 

And every Saturday after that, he picked a new flower, until on the night before the night you got married to him, he dropped of a rich red bouquet of red roses, something the both of you knew symbolised everlasting love of the deepest kind. 

When Spencer walked into the flower shop on that evening, he didn’t expect to find love, but boy was he happy he did.


End file.
